


Fires of Infinity: The Black Cage

by Zed_Zalias



Series: Jigsaw Puzzle [1]
Category: The Yogscast
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Space, Extremely Dubious Consent, Gen, Kinda M/M, Medical Torture, Past Martyn/Toby/Parvis, Polyamorous relationship, Psychological Torture, Science Fiction, Takes place after To Infinity, To Infinity-Series, Torture, like extremely, sexual exploitation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-12-13
Packaged: 2018-08-08 16:22:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7764727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zed_Zalias/pseuds/Zed_Zalias
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Infinity Alliance is increasing its iron-grip on the world, planet by planet. Powerful artifacts from ancient civilizations are being uncovered almost every week, with recent advances in technology allowing their detection and extraction. Tribes which haven't changed their ways for millions of years are rejecting the Alliance and their attempts to take these artifacts. In the crossfire, an independent association of disgruntled individuals are fighting to dismantle the Alliance and replace it with a communist union which will allow these tribes to retain their customs, but they must give up their artifacts in exchange - And allow them to be converted into weapons of mass destruction with unimaginable power to show the world that they will be heard. In the middle of all of this, Parvis just wants to do magic... But he doesn't have a license. The Infinity Alliance isn't happy with this.</p><p>Maybe, just maybe though, this was fate. Maybe Parvis is the one who can bring down the Alliance and restore peace.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ripped Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm super excited for this. Thanks to Shampoo, who listened when I talked on and on about my ideas for this. They are my unofficial adoptive mother, and without their kind words and encouragement I would have never published this. And, last but not least, thank goodness I finally realized that, other than the first chapter, notes are really, really unprofessional. I'll be better with that in this fic, I promise! I know exactly where this is headed, and I'm so happy that you've decided to join me for the journey.
> 
> Please enjoy.

Parvis's eyes snapped open as the sound of sirens wailing, driving daggers deep into his ears. He scrambled to get out of bed and nearly fell onto the floor. He ran out into the hallway and into Martyn's room, his feet hitting hard and loud on the floor at an incredibly fast pace. He passed a picture of poor Toby and then dashed to the side of Martyn's bed. Seeing he wasn't there and must have already gone downstairs, Parvis sprinted back into the hallway and practically jumped down the stairs.

His mind was racing. They had known this day would come if they stayed on Tessuk too long, and they had planned for it, but Parvis's head was aching and his ears were ringing from the sirens. He attempted to get together everything they needed with his hands, but they shook and he ended up dropping almost everything he picked up.

"Come outside with your hands up and then gently set any objects on the floor!" Boomed a voice over a megaphone. "Violence is not necessary!"

 _Yeah right_ , Thought Parvis.

He had packed everything they needed and so he began his next task. He retrieved the chalk from a cabinet and began drawing the warp circle on the ground, but he couldn't think straight and his head was pounding with pain.

He heard Martyn rocket up the basement stairs and he practically broke down the false wall which concealed them. He had collected all the magical items they might need from their secret resting place below the house. He set the menagerie of odd items down on the table and moved swiftly to Parvis's side, looking over his shoulder as he attempted to draw the runes.

"You have ten seconds to exit the building. Ten..." Roared the megaphone.

"P-Parvis..." Martyn said, trailing off.

Parvis nodded and quickened his pace.

"Seven..."

Martyn bounced from foot to foot as Parvis attempted to scrawl the rest of the runes to complete the circle. Unfortunately, Warp Chalk was extremely hard to make, and so they only had the one. Martyn could do nothing to help.

"Four..."

"Parvis, we have to go _now!"_ Exclaimed Martyn. 

A low, electric whine filled the air and it became nearly impossible to hear. Every sound was garbled and injected with strange, alien noises.

**"Three..."**

**"Parvis! Let's just go! Let's just go _now!_ " **Shouted Martyn, grabbing his pile of items and attempting to take hold of Parvis's wrist. Parvis didn't budge and suddenly became still and stiff, lost in his thoughts, his shame, his failure, and his  _fear_ _._

**"Two..."**

**"I'm sorry, Parvis, but I'm going! I'll tell them to wait for you! I hope they'll say you cooperated!"** Said Martyn, utterly defeated.

**"One..."**

Martyn bolted to the front door, but before he could make it - 

 _Everything_ was shaking. Parvis dropped his chalk and gripped the wall for support. What sounded like a million glasses broke in the cupboards.

The noise that followed was nothing short of  _terrible_. Parvis wanted desperately to clutch his ears in agony, but could not, for fear that he would loose his balance and fall to the floor. The entire world seemed to buzz and rumble.

A great, white flash consumed Parvis's vision and lasted for a decent amount of time. A few seconds into it, there was silence. Just Parvis, white, and  _silence_ _._

When Parvis could see again, he nearly had a heart attack. The entire front half of the house had been ripped away, a smoking crater of smoldering ruin left where it once was. Parvis stood in complete and utter shock, entirely unsure of what to do next.

He ran to the edge of the crater and looked down. He could taste bile in the back of his throat, and the fumes, light, and sound of the explosion had upset his senses. His ears were ringing horribly, he felt extremely sick, and his eyes were screaming; he felt like everything was just too dark after what they'd been exposed to. There, just near the bottom, lay an arm.

Martyn's arm.

Parvis nearly vomited, and had to catch himself with his hands to make sure he didn't fall into the crater below. He scanned the crater, looking anywhere, for  _anything_ , any sign of Martyn, but there was nothing else. Looking to his left, he froze and his entire body became electrified as he attempted to confirm that he had, indeed, seen what he thought he had.

Martyn's torso, one arm, both legs, and... No head.

Martyn was dead.

The electricity collected inside Parvis that had made his body prickle suddenly shot out of him. He turned to the crater again, bowed his head, and  _vomited._

The weight of the whole situation suddenly came crashing down on him, and he ducked his head between his knees, wishing he could just tuck himself away like a turtle in its shell, tuck himself away and  **never** come out.

The sobs began suddenly, as he accepted that - Yes, Martyn was really,  _actually_ ,  **dead _._** It was always Martyn, Toby, and him, the three amigos, best friends... Forever. But now... He was all that was left. He suddenly felt hollow, like he didn't  **belong** **.** Like his only right to exist was when he existed as a collective whole with Martyn and Toby; on his own he was  _nothing._  

After a few minutes, he finally got up and let the wind cool his hot, tear-streaked face. He saw that the person who had come to apprehend Martyn and him was... Alone? He thought it was strange, but not impossible... Especially not considering who it was.

Parvis's jaw dropped as he made the connection. This was  _Ridge_ _,_ the most famous Alliance bounty hunter.  _Why am I_ that _important? Do I know something or have something that I don't even know is important?_   Wondered Parvis.

"Well, sorry 'bout your friend." Said Ridge, casually, his eyes dancing and his teeth gleaming as he forced a smile. "Eh em, you...  _Are_ Parvis, correct?" Ridge continued, frowning slightly.

Somehow, Parvis found the strength within him to speak. "Yes. I'm Parvis."

Ride broke out into his toothy-grin once again. "Lovely! I was beginning to think I just set off a bomb on some random poor sap's house! Boy, Alliance woulda had my head for that one, hmm? I've seen Kirin when he's angry and..." He whistled. " _Not_ a very pretty sight, eh heh." He chuckled.

The two stared at each other for a moment, neither moving.

"Well? Aren'tcha gonna come on over here?" Ridge asked, nonchalant.

"I- _What?"_ Asked Parvis.

Ridge gave a small laugh and replied, "Look, I gotcha, there's nothin' you can do. You may as well just come on over easy, and I'll treatcha well. Deal?" He said, flashing his grin again.

"My-My friend is  _dead_." Parvis responded, deadpan.

"Hmmm... Yes, so he is. I'm really, very sorry, as I've said, but..." Here he stopped to look at his watch. "We're running on a tight schedule here, so... Why don'tcha just come on over here?"

Parvis began to move towards him, slowly, feet shuffling, barely leaving the ground.

"There... That's it, nice and easy, nice and slow... There we go." Here he gripped Parvis's shoulder, firm, but Parvis felt like he could walk away to say goodbye to Martyn if he wanted to, for example, without having to put up a fight.

But he didn't want to. He had  _nothing_ left, he felt broken and hurt, and he just wanted it to be  _over._

"See, thing is..." Began Ridge. "'Bout your friend, I... I really am sorry. I just don't sound it, cuz... Well, I'm not the sentimental type, see? But that doesn't mean I'm not nice and friendly and fuzzy... As I've said, 'f you go along with me without puttin' up a fight, I'll treat you  _real_ nice, and make sure the rest of the prison does, too. I'll getcha good meals that aren't even for prisoners, that sort of thing. So far, you've been real nice." He said, leading Parvis into his small ship, landed just on Parvis's front lawn."So I won't even putcha away. You'll sit in a  _real_ chair, like a human being, right next to me, an' we can talk alllllll the way there. Not some... Cage in the back." Here he shuddered and helped Parvis into his seat next to Ridge. Ridge sat down and began taking off. "All right, then, it's off to The Black Cage we go! Don'tchoo worry, I'll make sure they treat you like a  _prince_ _."_

 

* * *

 

The ride passed without much conversation from Parvis. Ridge, though - Ridge felt it necessary to go on and on about  _anything_ and  _everything_ _._ Every once in a while, Ridge would direct a question to Parvis -  _So, how long've you been on Tessuk? What planet were you born on?_ \- and Parvis would answer, calm but certainly not upbeat, and then Ridge would go back to droning on and on about whatever crossed his mind.

Parvis had to admit, he was rather pleasant company - He didn't ask that many questions, but he kept a conversation going, which helped Parvis to not think about the loss of Martyn. He seemed nice enough, too. Very nice, in fact. The only thing that bothered Parvis was his claim that he wasn't a "sentimental person;" he had seemed completely unfazed by the fact that he had killed Martyn. He didn't comfort Parvis at all. Other than that, however, he did seem rather kind.

'Well, here we are... The Black Cage!" Said Ridge, beginning to dock inside of one of the biggest ships Parvis had ever seen.  It was like a giant floating cube with a traditional ship slapped onto the front of it. "Now, you just stay right in here, and I'll get you all checked in. I'll come back for you." Said Ridge, landing the ship and beginning to exit it.

Parvis sat in silence for a while. He attempted to cry, but found that he was completely dry. Until he got some water, he could only convulse and shudder and  _cry_ , but he couldn't make a single tear. He drew in on himself, lifting his legs up into his chair and wrapping his arms around his body.

Eventually, Ridge came back and set a gentle hand on Parvis's shoulder. The touch actually felt  _caring_ and  _gentle_ and warmth bloomed under the skin which he touched.

"I'm sorry, Parvis... I really am." He said, slowly, trailing off. "Umm... Eh em, it's uhh... Time to go, if you're ready."

Parvis nodded slightly and raised his head, slipping his legs through the vice grip of this arms and standing up, following Ride out of the ship. His arms remained wrapped around his body protectively as he exited the craft. Looking around, he was nearly blinded by the bright, white atmosphere of the hangar. Ridge led him towards a man in a long, black coat which hung down by his ankles like a robe. The man smiled, and Parvis recognized him as Kirin - The person directly under Captain Richards and her right-hand-man Jones and the head of everything to do with imprisoning criminals. Parvis recognized him so easily because he had been on TV almost every day for the past few months, what with the huge amount of rebels popping up.

"Ridge! Lovely to see you back." Boomed Kirin.

"Yes, well, I have Parvis, like you wanted... He's been real nice, real cooperative, let's treat him nice, yeah?" Replied Ridge.

"Oh, yes, of course. Now... Let's see... Yes, well, it's time, go ahead now!" Kirin waved his hands and the Alliance security guards, who had previously just been aimlessly walking about the hangar on patrol, instantly turned towards Ridge, pulled out weapons noisily, and pointed them at Ridge. Parvis heard a few phasers charging.

Ridge's face darkened for a split second, and then he was instantly grinning again as he slowly raised his hands over his head.

"Well, Kirin! What's this you've got planned, then?"

Kirin's smile grew larger. "Well, you've... Outlived your usefulness. Nothing personal, of course. Just... Business, you know?" Here he sighed. "You see, you've been working with us for a long time now, it's simply time to end it. Besides, you've been doing your own little pet projects in the field of traveling between realities without any sort of permission, keeping it secret and such... Does "Project Jump" ring a bell? Wow, your names really aren't that creative."

For the first time, Parvis saw Ridge's face break out into confusion and anger. "What?! That's  _ridiculous_ _!_ I don't know a  _thing_ about alternate realities. Ask Strife, he's all over that stuff! _He's_ the one who would come up with a name like that!"

Kirin laughed. "We know it was you, Ridge. There's no point in trying to hide from it. Now, why you didn't just put your skills to use for the Alliance is beyond me. We would have given you  _unbelievable_ amounts of money for this technology!"

Ridge's expression hardened once more. "I - For the  _last time_ _,_ it wasn't _me!"_

Kirin sighed. "Tsk tsk, I  _really_ wish you would have just admitted to it. It would have saved us  _so_ much trouble... And saved you so much  _pain!_ But not anymore, no, you'll be feeling  _all_ the pain now. How ironic, you'll be sharing a cell with the very man you've captured for us! Oh, this is  _delightful_ _,_ Ridge, it  _really_ is. Seize them!" He finished, waving his hands once again.

It was all a blur to Parvis, but he saw as the security officers handcuffed him and Ridge. He went along silently, everything muffled and washed out to him, as he was led up many flights of stairs and through many hallways and into a room and laid down on a bed. It was surprisingly soft. It was so warm and welcoming, and Parvis was so tired... He would have investigated the room around him, but, instead, he answered to the beckoning call of sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

Parvis awoke a few hours later in a cool, soft bed. At first, he was confused, but then the memories came flooding back to him and he clutched his head gingerly in agony. He got up from his bed and looked around. It was bizarre, the bedroom was... Not like a prison? It seemed more like... A hotel room, or an apartment. He paced towards a door on the far side of the room and quietly opened it. It revealed a small living room and kitchenette, and an angry Ridge making coffee. Parvis shook his head and rubbed his eyes, expecting to wake up in bed again and realize it was nothing more than a blanket on a cold, concrete floor, but he didn't.

Ridge watched him and then responded, "Seems we've both got a secret that Kirin really,  _really,_ wants. The way he gets people like us to tell him is this," He said, gesturing around the room. "Puts us in a luxury room, with good food, lets us roam around for a little while each night, etc... And then he tortures us. It's strange, we're celebrities now.  _Everyone_ who works here knows about us now."

"So... We can't leave, and we get tortured, but... Other than that we're just... What, like... Hotel guests?" Asked Parvis.

"Other than that!  _Other_ than  _that!_  Jesus, Parvis, we can't leave and we're gonna get tortured, and you say 'Other than that?' Well, yes, Parvis, to answer your question, yes. Which reminds me, according to the schedule Kirin left... Jesus, guess he's been planning this for both of us for a _while..._ Right, well, according to the schedule, we're gonna get brought in for... 'Questioning' - That means torture, Parvis, ' case you're new here - in a few minutes."

"Hmm..." Said Parvis, and sat down on a couch, nearly laughing at the prospect of a  _couch_ in a  _prison cell_ _._

"Coffee?" Asked Ridge.

"No, thanks." Replied Parvis. There was silence for a few minutes as both contemplated their situation. Then, the door swung open, and in came an entourage of armed security officers.

"If you'd please come along for questioning...?" Asked the one in front.

Parvis nodded and stood up, allowing himself to be man-handled and forced through the door. Ridge scowled and made a large deal out of spitting his coffee into the sink and dumping the rest, dropping the mug on the table noisily. With angry eyes, Ridge walked towards Parvis and wordlessly allowed the team to take him.

They walked through the place in silence, and Parvis took it as an opportunity to observe as much of the area around his cell as he could. From what he could tell, they were on floor 60 of 64. They were led into an elevator and taken up to floor 61, which was labeled as "Infinity Alliance Offices and Quarters." They were led down a series of corridors, which became increasingly alienating and empty. They finally stopped at a medical room.

Parvis was laid down on a hospital bed and so was Ridge. They were then left alone.

"I've seen the torture before. Or... At least a few of the types they use." Said Ridge, slowly. "We're in for some pain, I'm afraid."

They lay silently for a few minutes, and then the door swung open and Kirin entered, leading a squad of doctors. The doctors began hooking up IVs - Much to the dismay of Parvis and Ridge, who gave a few small cries of pain - and putting small, metal helmets on them, which were connected to a bizarre menagerie of machines. Kirin stood between their beds.

He cleared his throat and began, "Well, hello there! How have you two been enjoying the suite?" Neither responded, but Ridge gave a slight snort. "Anyways," He continued, "I have a question for you, Ridge. Where did you hide Project Jump? The prototypes, the rest of the test reports..."

 _"It. Wasn't. Me."_ Said Ridge.

"Wrong answer." Said Kirin, smiling.

He flipped a switch on a machine, and Ridge gave a yelp of pain. He turned it off again, and it became clear to Parvis that Kirin had electrocuted him.

Kirin sighed. "Alright, give him the drug."

The doctors began to mess around with the IV drip, and then Ridge began shaking and convulsing.

"Where is it!" Kirin nearly shouted, having put his face right in front of Ridge's.

" _It. Wasn't. **Me!** " _Shouted Ridge.

Kirin flipped the switch again and he screamed. Parvis moved to cover his ears with his shoulders and closed his eyes, not wanting to witness the horrid torture. He heard scream, after scream, after _scream._ He simply couldn't shut the noises out. When the noise seemed to calm down, he opened his eyes again.

"Fine then! We'll get it from you tomorrow. Get out of here." He said, waving his hand. Some more security officers had come in and now picked up Ridge and took him away. "Now then," He said, looking at Parvis. "I've got a  _special_ type of...  _Interrogation_ for you. It's mainly what the cap was for," He said, banging the metal helmet on Parvis's head. "See, you had your eyes shut like a little  _baby,_ and so you didn't see it. This'll be a surprise for you, then. Now... You're probably wondering why you're such a high-profile prisoner here, hmm? See, when we found out you were doing magic without a license... We waited a while to apprehend you, as you know, because we wanted to watch... Observe... And we did. And you know what we decided? You had an artifact! The magic we saw you do, it was just... It was  _extremely_ clear that you had one. We want it, so we can use it to power our mining laser."

"Mining laser?" Asked Parvis.

"Yes, we hired a company called 'Hole Diggers' to build us a mining laser, which we can put on any space station we want and mine from the planet below. Well, that's what we told them while they were building it... It's laser can be repurposed for...  _Other_ things."

"You - You're  _evil!"_ Stammered Parvis.

At this Kirin snorted looked into Parvis's eyes.

"You're silly." He said. "Now... Where is the artifact?"

"I... Don't have one." Lied Parvis.

Kirin sighed again, dramatically. "Tsk tsk, I  _really_ wish you would have just cooperated. Oh well..." He said, and then flipped a switch. "Give him the drug. You ever been injected with a hallucinogenic drug before, Parvis?" Parvis shook his head. " _Ooh,_ this'll be fun! Especially when combined with this method of...  _Eh em,_ questioning."

A high electric whine filled the air and a million spiders began crawling over Parvis's skin. He was writhing and shaking, but his hands were restrained and he couldn't _itch_. He convulsed and shivered, and his IV popped loose with pain. There were doctors all around him, but their movements were all just a blur to him. Kirin laughed, but it was a faraway, muffled, and garbled sound. In the corner, Parvis saw Martyn and Toby, kissing and moving their hands over each other. They stopped and looked at him and painted on their faces was  _death._ Parvis could see it all. The denial, the grief, the depression and anger, the last breath, the tears, he could see every component of death and - Behind that face was painted  _sex._ Parvis froze in a cold sweat as the two stared through him,  _into_ him, with their dark, soulless eyes. They flew over to him, laughing, pointing at him, still kissing each other between harsh, shrill laughs.

"No, no,  _no!"_ Screamed Parvis. "Go  _away!_ You're  _dead!_ You're both  ** _dead!_** Go  _away_ _,_ I want it to  _end!_ I want it to be  _over!"_

"We lied..." Whispered the two in unison, their voices hushed and wraithlike. "We never loved you.  _Never._ You were always the third wheel, we lied to make you feel special."

Parvis was crying now. Martyn laughed and kept speaking.

"Oh, and... The reason we never resumed our...  _Activities_ after Toby died wasn't because I was still grieving... No, no, that was a lie... I just didn't want to do  _anything_ with you if Toby wasn't involved... Because you were  _nothing_ _._ You weren't good for  _anything,_ and if Toby, the one who  _didn't suck_ _,_ had been there, you can be sure we would have, even if my  _mother_ had been the one who died instead!"

Parvis was practically shrieking, his words becoming laced with sleep and confusion now, as he had felt a needle plunge into him a few moments ago.

"And you know what?" Said Martyn. "I'm  _glad_ I died, I'd trade you for Toby  _any day_ _."_

And that was the end, that was all it took, and Parvis was writhing and screaming.

"Make it  _stop! Please_ _,_ have  _mercy!_ Make it  _stop, **please!** " _Screamed Parvis.

He looked to his right and there was Kirin. His robe was torn and midnight black, with spots of blood against the void. His eyes were a deep red with a single pinprick of blue hellfire in the center. His face was that of a skeleton, and was mostly obscured by the hood which Parvis could have sworn wasn't there when they had first met. He opened his mouth and it was an ebony-black pit, and blue fire and pitch-black smoke seeped out of it as he spoke. Parvis could have  _sworn_ he was looking directly into the face of  _Death._

"Fine! I'll end it! All you have to do is  _admit that you had an artifact!"_

 _"Alright!_ Alright,  _alright, **alright!**_ _"_ Screamed Parvis. "I had one! I had something you might call an artifact! Now,  _please!_ Make it  _stop!"_

Death nodded, saying something about "giving him more," but Parvis was already almost asleep. He felt - Yet barely felt through his numb drug-induced haze - Another needle prick his arm. It could have actually worked this fast, or it could have just been the placebo effect and the first dose of medicine kicking in, or a combination, but Parvis was knocked out  _instantly_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading. I promise, it'll get good and won't just be the standard "Parvill oh and also Ridge is there he's a bitch."


	2. Hegatzi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's see if anyone catches the Star Wars reference.

When Parvis awoke, it wasn't sudden. It was just a gradual realization that he was _not_ asleep. It wasn't terrifying like it had been ever since Toby had died... He didn't wake up screeching, hands clenching white-knuckled on the sheets, his body shaking and his breath coming out short... But it wasn’t like his waking had been pleasant, either. Rather, as Parvis came to his senses, he found that the interrogation was still fresh on his skin and in his mind - His thoughts were still scrambled, he still felt like he was hearing little blips of noise and seeing things out of the corner of his eye that weren’t really there. His skin still buzzed, humming with something almost like static. Parvis still felt like he was being crawled over by millions of little ants, who bit and stung his skin, digging into him like daggers. He could still see the ghostly images of Martyn and Toby, wading around the air as if it was thick like molasses.

And, frankly, Parvis didn’t much like it. He figured the drug itself had worn off, but it seemed his mind was still hallucinating, just to spite him. Or, perhaps the more logical explanation was that the drug had left little imprints — Footprints, tracks, it _was_ a beastly thing, after all — Within his mind, like when an image is burned onto a monitor, or when one can still see the light from before behind their eyelids.

Parvis moved slowly out of bed and found he was in his cell - If he could even call it that. He figured the medical team must have moved him. He paced out into the kitchen and passed through it without a word to Ridge, who sat quietly at the table reading a book, making a beeline for the couch in the condo-style attached living room. Despite feeling well-rested, Parvis sank into the couch and lay down, curling in on himself slightly.

Ridge cleared his throat.

There was silence once again, as Parvis lay there, listening to the sound of water rushing through the drains of the Cage, free, free to go anywhere it wanted - But only within a confined space.

Just like Parvis.

Somehow, though, Parvis couldn’t help but feel that the water _was_ free. Sure, it was confined to the pipes, its pressure held within their walls almost like magic, but, compared to Parvis, its movements were fluid, spirited, and unconstricted. Parvis ached to be _free,_ to be taken by the water, whisked away. He wished to _become_ the water, to feel the collective heart beat within him, be a part of the swarming, rushing, frothing energy which coursed through the veins of the prison.

He wanted to _lose_ himself in the water. To not _feel_ anymore, to _forget,_ forget all the pain, all the suffering - Toby, _dead,_ Martyn, _dead,_ himself, imprisoned — _alone_ — without any glimmer of hope to get out.

“You know, that doesn’t help,” Began Ridge. “There’s _nothing_ you can do. The Cage was designed to be the perfect prison. The Alliance brings in… A lot of “criminals.” What with the rebels gainin’ so much traction, and so many societies resisting their ways and therefore becoming “prisoners of war…” Point is, neither of us ‘re getting out of here, ‘less we cooperate. Even then, our chances are… Low. If Kirin’s in a good mood at the time, that is.

Parvis shoved his face further into the depths of the couch, wishing it would swallow him whole.

“Ehmmm…. I ain’t a bastard, Parvis.” Said Ridge, after a short moment of hollow silence.

“I — Huh?” Came Parvis’s reply, confused and muffled by the sofa.

“I _said._ ” Replied Ridge. “I _ain’t_ a bastard.” Ridge sighed. “Thing is, Parvis… There’s a whole lotta bad people in this world. And… Right now, there ain’t much in terms-a good people. And… I’m just trying to make ends meet, you know? I ain’t _bad,_ Parvis. I mean, I _sure_ as _hell_ ain’t good, but… I ain’t bad, either, Parvis.” Parvis didn’t respond and so Ridge continued. “These… _Jobs_ I been doin’ for Kirin. I… Well, _shit Parvis,_ at this point, I don’t know what to say. It’s just… I ain’t _tryin’_ to… Y’know, ruin peoples’ lives. I’m just trying to make some money. And… There isn’t any way to stop the Alliance either. Unless _they_ mess something up, ain’t _nobody_ gonna be able to mess things up _for_ them. So… I guess what I’m trying to say is… There’s a war comin’. A _big_ war, a _real_ big war.  And, well - One side gonna win, the other’s gonna lose. And, thing is, we _both_ know _which side_ is gonna be doin’ the _losin’._ So… I guess I’m just tryin’tu tell ya that… I don’t mean you any harm, yeah? I got myself no ill-will towards you, or _anybody._ I’m just trying to… Survive, I ‘spose.” He finished and his words, heavy with truth and pain, fell on Parvis, coating the room with a strangling silence.

“I — Thanks. Um. For that. I uhh… What time is it?” Asked Parvis.

Ridge looked at the clock on the kitchen wall. “9:30. You’ve still got an hour to roam ‘free.’ If you like, that is.”

Parvis suddenly burned with the desire to _move._ “I — Uh, yes, I’d… Like that — Very much.” He stood up and paced towards the door. He opened the door and turned to Ridge.

“Oh, and if you run into Strife — ” Ridge began, but stopped. “Never mind. _Don’t_ run into Strife.” He finished, shaking his head and turning back to his book.

“Uh… O- _k_.” Said Parvis, and with that, he walked into the hallway and shut the door behind him.

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Fuzz! Where have you gone?!” Yelled Kirin.

He paced around and exhaled uneasily — the boy had gone somewhere again. Kirin could never seem to find him when he got like this. He was a quiet, shy, reserved boy, but it didn’t stop him from being extremely experimental and explorative.  Being the youngest of his sons, Kirin thought Fuzz was truly unique. He had not only avoided inheriting Kirin’s self-centered, superior personality, but he had also avoided inheriting the self-righteous, fair and just personality of his other father. Well, to say that wouldn’t be _entirely_ correct. He was fair. Just. And… Distinctly unlike Kirin. But unlike his other father, he didn’t believe this made him somehow “better” than everyone else. His other two children were… Well, each was like an exact copy of one of their two parents, but with something… _Extra_ , something Kirin could not yet understand.

Kirin sighed and paced over to his window, placing his hands on the glass and looking out into the dark expanse of space. _He’s out there,_ He thought. _Somewhere, he’s still out there. Either alive or a floating body._ As much as he hated to admit it, he missed him. He kicked himself mentally for avoiding the use of his name. _Lying,_ he reminded himself. And then, the flood of emotion that had been pent up inside him, held fast by the dam that was his eternal determination to avenge the man, broke free. Kirin’s hands shook on the railing, and a terrible noise flooded out of him, and he could _feel_ his skin shaking off of him. His skin prickled, jumped around of its own accord, and slowly shed away from him. Some disappeared into the air around him, vanishing as it flew off, while some dissolved away from on his body. His hands fell off, then his arms. He shrieked and made a guttural noise as he shrugged his wings out of the holes in his shoulders, and flapped them autonomously, goo dripping from them. They were clumsy and atrophied after being dormant for so long. His feet fell off, too, and from them sprouted funny looking claws with feathers surrounding them, almost like they intended to make him fall through the sky more slowly.

He bent over, crying out in pain, as his tailbone elongated and thickened, and poked a hole in his skin. It flapped as it came free, and soon flesh began to grow around it, followed by fur and fuzz and a kite-shaped, leathery end. New skin bloomed over his body and fur began to grow from it, and he uttered a shriek that was more avian and beastly than it was human. The pain of the transformation cut deep into him; it had been so long since he had gone through the process. He had not been prepared for the pain.

He threw his head back and cursed himself for his inhuman noises, cursed himself for letting _this_ happen. He had been _so good,_ had kept this hidden under his skin for _so many months,_ and it was all wasted now.

He gave one final shriek and fell to the ground as the transformation was completed. His breath shook as he closed his eyes and wished he could disappear.

As his breathing steadied, he opened his eyes and slowly rose from the floor. He looked to the window once again. His disembodied human hands still sat by the windowsill, like a reminder of the costume he always wore. A dress which he had just shrugged out of, left behind as a pool on the floor. His feet where a part of that puddle too, and his arms. A sticky goo was everywhere, and crimson blood and bits of _human_ that were no longer necessary were strewn about. A thin green fluid covered everywhere surface, dripping.

Kirin nearly vomited, his head spinning and aching, thick with disgust at what he was.  He paced closer to his desk and stepped on his own arm. The squish rang out in the room. Kirin tensed and stood still for a second. After that, he grabbed the nearest bin like lightning and vomited. His hands clenched white knuckled on the can as he steadied his shaking breath. His entire body shook with terror. He collected himself and stood up, raising the desk phone to his ear and dialing the first number that came to mind.

Holluci’s voice came through the phone. “Yes, Sir?”

Kirin frowned at the formality. “I — Please… Just… Call the cleanup crew.”

I’m sorry…?” Asked Holluci.

Between each word, Kirin shuddered and shook, and his voice came out desperate, cracking every few words. “I — In my office. I was… Personally interrogating someone. From an… Well, we don’t know where. Some unidentified planet. Never seen the species, either. We just found him, on a ship a few days ago.” Kirin lied through his teeth, on the verge of tears. “Something — Happened, something went wrong. He just kind of… _Exploded._ Not like a bomb or anything, just… There’s kind of… Viscera all over my office.”

Holluci sighed loudly. “Come on, I _told_ you not to do that anymore. It never ends well.”

“Yes, yes, I know… I’m sorry, I really am. I just… Long day at work, and we thought he had some kind of rebel plans in his head and I wanted to get the info as soon as possible, so I just… Sorry.”

Holluci inhaled and exhaled slowly, and Kirin could tell he was pinching the bridge of his nose. He knew the man well. “Alright, _alright._ I’m on my way.”

“Oh, no! That’s — Hardly necessary, thank you, though. I’m sure you’re very busy.” Said Kirin, a little too quickly, for he knew that if Holluci saw the place he’d know _exactly_ what had happened.

Holluci clicked his tongue and exhaled again. “Alright. I’m sending a crew now. They’ll be up soon.”

The phone clicked and sounded the hang-up-tone in his ear.

“Err… Th-thanks.” Said Kirin, to no one in particular.

He slowly set the phone back in its cradle and sighed. He pushed his fingers into his eyes and breathed slowly. He had to move relatively fast but… He was not in any sort of hurry. He paced over to the back of the office and pulled out a book on his bookcase, which opened a secret staircase. Kirin always laughed when he had opened it — It was so cliché, which is precisely why he had had it put there, so he could snort at the prospect of it. Of course, this time he didn’t laugh. He shut it behind him with a button inside and then descended the stairway. He went to his bedroom and opened the closet, grabbing the Oxygen tank and mask and putting them on. He had Oxygen piped into his room and his tanks were always refilling when not in use. _Should last me for about a half hour if I just take the small ones… That’s enough,_ He thought to himself.

He walked out into the hallway and to its end,  and then opened the first airlock. He stepped in and then the door shut as the air was sucked out of the chamber. The second airlock opened, and Kirin flew.

It was the most satisfying thing in the world. After what had happened, the unhampered freedom of flying through space was pure bliss. He had insisted that artificial gravity be installed around the space station. He always felt fortunate to have wings that defied physics, requiring no wind or air to fly.

He flew in a straight line, fast, fast, faster, _faster,_ and faster still. He could feel wind rush past his face, even though there was none. His wings still felt weird, but he knew he would adjust eventually. It had just been so long since he had used them… He then turned around and began flying in circles, and then over the top of the Cage, over the side, then the bottom, then the other side, the top again, like he was putting tape around a box.

He gave a shriek of joy and then a bird’s screech as he stopped to admire Natya. He had decided to put the Cage here because of that moon of Uyshia. Natya was small, but _beautiful._ It was breathtakingly gorgeous. It was a deep deep blue color, like an ocean, with pale blue-gray clouds surrounding it. Sometimes, the clouds were purple and dropped turquoise rain and violet lightning. He stayed there for some time before sighing and gliding gracefully back inside.

He put his Oxygen gear away and sat on his bed, the image of Natya still fresh in his mind. It calmed him. It always had. He then began to think of Lying — Of the rebels who had killed him, and of his pledge to avenge him. If that meant shedding this skin, then that meant _not_ shedding his costume… Covering up the skin that he couldn’t shed with an illusion.

Kirin thought of the punishments he would give the rebels, how he would _crush_ them, but he also thought of what that required — All the paperwork, questioning, organization, just… All of the _work_ that had to be done to achieve that. He felt his tail shed and retreat into the thick goop that was developing all over his body now. He thought _human_ thoughts. He thought of how he must make the world a better, safer place… For Fuzz, and for _everyone_. No one should have to go through the pain he had gone through because of the rebel scum. His wings shrugged back into the goo near his shoulders, and his green blood ran cold as his body created the red-pigmented liquid meant to simulate human blood. His nostrils popped out, larger, and made an actual nose — Out of goop, of course. His feet shuffled back up into more goo, and suddenly _all_ of him was inside the goo. And then, very suddenly, the goo was solid.

And Kirin was human…

Or so everyone would think.

Kirin moved up the stairs and into his office and found that, indeed, the office had been cleaned in his absence. He sighed and lifted the phone again. He dialed Fuzz, and sighed as he waited for the boy to pick up.

“Err — Hello? Yes, Dad?” Said Fuzz.

“Hello, my darling little Crumpet. How have you been since we last talked? It was this morning, I think.” Said Kirin.

“Ugh, _Da-_ d, we’ve talked about this. I can’t have you calling me that in front of anyone.” Replied Fuzz, exasperated.

“Oh, yes, sorry Fuzz, I forgot. It’s just, you’re so sweet, like a crumpet, you know?” Kirin could practically _hear_ Fuzz rolling his eyes.

“Anyways, very good, Dad. The Computer taught me about the history of the Alliance, like you said. It was very fascinating.”

“Oh? The Computer did? Err, I mean, yes! Of course!”

There was silence on the other end.

“Dad? You… Forgot, didn’t you…”

The sigh that came from Kirin could only be described as huge. “Yes. I did.” He said. “I’m sorry, I really am. I’ve just been… Very _stressed out_ lately. You know it’s only me raising you. I mean, your brothers sometimes help… Well, one of them anyways. But… It’s just me. I’m doing the best I can, I _really_ am. I try to keep you entertained and learning over the summer when you aren’t at the Academy, but I’m just so, _so_ unbelievably busy.”

“Yeah… I know, Dad.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Fuzz Crumpet, I really am. Oh — Sorry, I forgot.”

“No, no, that’s okay. If you call me that it’s fine, I mean it _is_ my full first name. It’s just… The word “Crumpet” by itself as a term of endearment that has to stop. It… Makes me think of you eating me. Which is totally weird.”

Kirin smiled slightly. “Alright, Fuzz. I’m afraid I can’t come into your room until later. Go ahead and go to bed, I’ll be a while. I have some… Business to discuss with your brother. Err, that is, the one who _isn’t_ who-knows-goddamn-where in the universe.”

Fuzz snorted. “I think I’ll just wait on you. Read or something.”

“Well — If you’re sure you aren’t tired.”

“Mhm… Dad? What… _Are_ we?”

Kirin sighed. “I’ve told you before, we are Hegatzi. We come from —”

“No, _no._ I’ve heard that before. I’m asking: What _are_ we?”

“Yes, well… We are creatures who can morph to fit our surroundings.”

“Right, but… What happens if mine ever… Y’know… Falls off? My, like, my skin, or whatever.”

“Oh — Well. It comes back. You just need to meditate until you reach a state of zen, and it comes back. Everyone has a different way to do that. I find it helpful to think about the jobs I need to do, etcetera… I’m a very goal-oriented person. I also… Think about your father.”

There was silence from the other end.

“Dad? What was he like?”

“Oh, if I had a buck for every time — Well, he was… Passionate. Boy, oh, _boy,_ was he ever passionate. He supported so many causes and such, and he cared about everyone. He was fair, and just, and… Quite beautiful, if I’m honest.”

Kirin expected his son to make some noise of disgust, but he remembered that the boy was older now. He was a young man, on the cusp of maturity.

“Did… Did you love him?”

The question stopped Kirin for a moment.

“I — Of _course_ I loved him! You may have heard we fought a lot, but couples do that. He was… So passionate as I’ve said, and sometimes we’d just get into silly fights like whether it was worth his time to stand up for one species. But… Yes, Fuzz. I loved him, very, very much. And even if it turned out he had been keeping an entire second life a secret from me, I’d still love him. No matter who he is, I’ll love him. And… I’ll always miss him. I’m sad you… Never really knew him. You two would have… Been really great friends.”

“Mhm… Thanks Dad.”

“Of course. I’ll try to make things quick with your brother, then. In case you do decide to go to bed before we’re done,  _goodnight Fuzz.”_

“I —  Good night, Dad… And uh — Thanks. You know. For trying your best with me.”

Fuzz hung up before his father could respond, most likely out of embarrassment at his sentiment.

“You’re welcome…” Said Kirin, practically beaming.

He thought it was so funny that one of his children had hung up the phone before he could respond out of frustration, and the other out of embarrassment at his kindness to his father.

Kirin sighed to himself. He wanted to go to bed, he was _terribly_ tired, but he had business to attend to...

So he packed his paperwork, exited his room, and went to find Holluci.


	3. A Brief Respite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so sorry, but I have literally been up to my neck in shit to do the last two months. It's over now, though, so I'll finally be able to get back to this. I'm also sorry today's is a little short. I rewrote this so many times, either because I lost it or it wasn't good enough. At this point, for pacing and for my sanity, I needed to just finish the chapter, move on, and put the next part in a new one.

Kirin walked with style and purpose through the hallways of the Cage. He stepped into the elevator, selected the correct floor, and during the wait straightened his tie, brushed the lapels of his suit, and breathed deeply. He inhaled sharply through his nose just after the elevator dinged, and then walked out, wearing a look of confidence, with a touch of I’m slightly overworked, but I love my job. He walked efficiently and didn’t stop to greet anyone, his pace quick and his thoughts even quicker. Before he knew it, his journey was complete, and he had arrived at the door to that floor’s viewing deck. He straightened himself up once more, shook his head a little, and entered the door. He didn’t feel he had the energy to deal with Holluci right now.

 

* * *

 

Parvis slipped out the door and closed it with his foot. It clicked and he stretched his fingers for a moment before walking off into the hallway. Parvis had no particular direction, he just wanted away. He began to walk mindlessly down the hallway, and took a few turns here, a few there, and before he knew it he had come to a long corridor with big, metal doors, with a square piece of reinforced glass stuck in the middle of them. Parvis looked around and, seeing that the hallway was empty, he decided to look around a little at the nearest door. 

The door was labeled, “BX-78, Immobile, Clearance Level: 14.” Parvis frowned and looked in the window. The room was dark and dirty, and in the center was a green blob, which pulsated every few seconds. Immobile, Thought Parvis. How could something that’s immobile have a clearance level that high? Or, what I’d assume is high…  
Parvis moved away, and went to the next door. “D4-1, A, Mobile, Clearance Level: 2.” Parvis frowned slightly. Parvis looked in the window, and the room was actually carpeted, but otherwise not in any way different from what he would have expected. There was nothing in the room. He pushed slightly on the door, and it actually moved. Parvis stood stunned for a moment as the door swung open.

He breathed a little and stepped in, ever so slowly, looking around. There was nothing there. No weird blob, no slime covering the walls, no alien from a sci-fi story -

“Hello.”

Parvis nearly jumped out of his skin, but stood paralyzed with fear, unable to exit the door. He slowly turned his head around both ways, looking for the source of the voice, but he didn’t see it. He heard a squish-like noise, and looked back over at the center of the room. The carpet had begun to rise in this part of the room. It was like someone was blowing up a balloon under the carpet.

The carpet began to take on a shape as the air spaces went away and began to mold to whatever was underneath the rising carpet. It was a dog… A dog with a carpet on their head. Parvis laughed for just a second, and then relaxed. He could see the dog’s posture, their face, through the carpet, and it was apparent that this was no wolf or wild, feral dog. This was just a dog, and Parvis imagined that they were adorable.

“What is the matter? What is funny? You were stilled by fear, and now you are laughing? Have I done something to deeply upset you? Have I caused you to suffer some kind of severe emotional trauma? I must have, or why would you be in such a tortured, fragile state? Oh, dear, I’ve upset them, I’ll need to-” They said.

Parvis had begun laughing even harder through their speech, and now he had stopped them with a particularly loud eruption of laughter.

“No, no, you don’t have to - You didn’t upset me at all! In fact, you’re the first… Friendly person I’ve met my entire time here.” Said Parvis. “Err… Well, dog… I suppose.”

“Ah. I see.” They said, their eyebrows raising a little. “Are you one of us, then?”

“I… I don’t think I’m, uh… A dog, no… If that’s - What you were asking.”

“Most certainly not. I was merely inquiring as to- Eh em. I am merely interested in knowing if you are a prisoner or not.”

“Oh? I uh… Well, yes, I am.”

“So, I assume you have rather sought-after knowledge, if you’re one of the prisoners they let roam unfettered. It doesn’t make much sense, but then again Kirin is quite the strange man.”

“Err… Well, yes, he ehh, yes he is.” Parvis said, looking around a little without moving his head.

“Is something the matter? You seem rather flustered and unsure of yourself.”

“I think anyone would seem a little inarticulate and imprecise in the presence of your manner of speaking.”

“Are you mocking said manner of speaking?”

“Not at all!”

“Yes you are.”

“No, I’m honestly not doing any such thing!”

“I like you.”

“Oh-Um-O… Okay?”

“I am sorry if I have been rather forward. I did not mean that I intend to engage in any sort of romantic interactions. I just wished to express that you make me feel something I’ve not felt in a very long time… A light giddiness.”

“So… Because I’m funny?”

“Yes. Annoying in a charming and funny way.”

“Oh… Well, yes, thank you, but you didn’t laugh. Err, well, maybe that isn’t customary for - For umm- For one of your- For you.” Parvis finished, tapping his finger to his opposite wrist behind his back.

“No. It would have been appropriate for me to do so. It is just that I cannot laugh.”

“Oh, umm… Oh?”

“Yes. I am currently a prisoner. How could I laugh?”

“Well, you, umm… Your door is, uhh, unlocked, actually.”

“Yes. I know. They’ve stopped bothering to lock mine because they know I won’t ever leave.”

“Oh, why?”

“Because I… In case you didn’t notice - The carpet - And well - If I -“

“Who’s unsure of themselves now?”

“Oh, do be quite! I merely don’t know how to explain this… Since you know nothing of my anatomy, it would be… Complicated. Perhaps the best explanation for now is, to put it simply, I cannot leave this room.”

“Oh… Well - Well I’m going to escape! Umm… Yeah! Definitely! I’m already working on it! So, umm… If - If you want me to, I could involve you in, um, those plans.”

“Did I not make it clear that I can’t leave this room?”

“Well, yes, you did, I had just hoped I could maybe help you with that.”

Their head moved downwards slightly and moved side-to-side just a little bit.

“No. It is not that easy.” They said. “But why bother escaping? You are already practically free in the nighttime, when you aren’t being tortured to the brink of death, that is.”

“Well so are you! Look, your door is unlocked!”

“I told you, I can’t leave this room!” They shouted, suddenly angry. Parvis knew he had struck something personal in some way. “Besides,” They said, their head bowing more, “Even if I escaped this place entirely, I’d still be trapped in this room and tied to everything that’s happened here, still chained to it all, still a prisoner inside.”

“I’m… I’m really sorry. For… Whatever happened. Which, you know, if you don’t want to talk about, it’s perfectly fine.”

“No.” They said without hesitation.

“Okay. That’s perfectly fine. Umm. I should be going if you don’t mind.”

“Oh? I enjoyed talking with you. Please come again some time. I don’t feel that my door will be locked any time soon…”

“Okay… I will. Well, thank you. Oh, um, what is your name?”

They merely stood there for a moment, absolutely still.

“You should be on your way. One of Kirin’s children may be nearby. He sometimes comes to play with me. He… Is nice… Despite being his father’s son. Go now, I imagine he’ll sneak out of bed and come find me pretty soon, this is about the time he usually does.”

“Kirin… A - A son? That - That man has children?” Parvis stammered.

“Yes, believe it or not. While you are free to roam, interfacing with “dangerous prisoners” is, I am sure, off-limits. I might know some secrets to help get you out of here, for instance. That’s why they don’t want us talking.”

“You - Is that just an example, or do you really…”

“Oh, just an example, of course! How dare you suggest me knowing something so naughty!” They seemed serious but added a small wink at the end. “Come visit me again soon, eh?” They said, and winked again.

Parvis smiled, nodded, and turned to go. He shut the door gently behind him and kept walking. That’s it! They know how to get me out of here, He thought. But they wouldn’t tell me their name… I wonder, do they even trust me…?

Parvis shook his head and continued down the hallway. Once he had found that one door was open, he had planned to look in more cells and check their doors, but… After meeting the one prisoner, he felt he had seen and heard enough for one day. He walked to the end of the hall, which was unbelievably long, and took a turn in a random direction. He repeated this a few times until he had ended up a couple floors above, through the use of the stairwells.

As he walked more, he found himself suddenly in the center of a vortex of noise and people. He walked more, and finally came to a large pair of metal doors, labeled Viewing Deck. Parvis thought for a moment, reaching out towards the button, but let his hand fall back. He heard muffled voices from beyond the doors and didn’t feel like having to see anyone. He walked past the doors, and wandered some more, until he was alone in a quiet hallway.

Parvis walked a few steps, and then heard an odd whoosh sound. He looked to the wall where it had come from and saw it rippling like a liquid. Parvis, taken aback slightly, stared at the wall in confusion. His brow furrowed, he stepped forward slightly.

Suddenly, the wall seemed to suck in a breath of air, and then it peeled outward from the center. It exposed a starry night sky, with deep blue coloring and vibrant lights in the expanse of space. For a moment, the stars shifted, and assembled a new constellation, which seemed to spell something. It was long, and so the letters were so small Parvis had to get close to read them. A gift from your friend. I believe what it will show you is important for you to see. Step inside. Parvis shook his head to clear it. Was this really what it said? Who could have made something this bizarre happen? He had to double-check, had to make sure this wasn’t just a wallpaper, had to make sure he was reading right, and wasn’t going crazy… So he leaned in a little more…

And then the wall sucked in a breath...

And then Parvis felt his body snap forward as he gave a shout…

And then everything went black.


	4. Inverse Matters

Parvis was shot forward into the darkness as the exit behind him vanished. He couldn’t see a thing. After feeling around the walls for a while, he found a space where the wall ended and there was only air - _A corner!_ Thought Parvis. He stumbled forward, tripping slightly, turned, and walked through the darkness.

 

Parvis went along for what felt like an eternity, but was probably little more than a minute, stumbling over little cracks or dips in the floor, his hands flying out at nearly every instant to steady himself against the walls. Eventually, he came to a small area of light, which seemed to come from nowhere. He looked behind him at the way he had come from. It was completely, _entirely,_ black, and its darkness seemed to seep forth towards Parvis, threatening to swallow him whole. Parvis shook his head in disbelief… He couldn’t believe he had just walked through that.

 

He looked above him and saw a ladder, and, seeing as there was nothing for him back the way he came, placed his hands on one of the lower rungs. He pulled himself up and began climbing.

 

The descent was long and slow, and when Parvis finally found himself at the top of the mysteriously-lit shaft, he was exhausted. He pulled up into a small air vent of sorts, having to crawl to fit. Seeing no direction but forwards into the vent, and also making the judgement that he would rather chance the vents if there was at least some light there so he could _see_ whatever would kill him before it did, Parvis crawled onward.

 

He followed the path of the vent for a while, taking a few turns when there were no other options. Finally, he came to an intersection and was faced with a choice - Left or right? Parvis thought for a moment, and in the silence he heard a voice - No, _two_ voices! He strained his ears, cupping his hands around them despite how silly it sounded to him as he instinctively did it, and listened. Slowly, the blurry noise began to come into focus.

 

“I’m just saying, _father,_ that I do not believe that your decisions in the last few months have been _entirely_ detrimental to our agenda, and I daresay your agenda has changed as well!” Came an elusive and secretive, yet viciously strong, male voice. It sounded almost British.

 

“Yes, yes, I am aware that my judgement lately has been… Somewhat questionable, but I think we’re on track. Soon we’ll isolate the variable, as it were, and then she’ll have no choice but to comply.” Came another male voice, that was not at all like the other’s, despite the fact that he was apparently his father. Parvis knew he had heard the voice, and then suddenly it clicked - _Kirin!_

 

“Aha! Isolate the variable… She _is_ quite unpredictable, isn’t she… And killing the other one to leave her alone and confused will surely force her to take us seriously. Aha… You get wittier every day, father, but your actual intelligence… Well, that remains to be seen.” Came the first voice.

 

“But Holluci, why are you so critical? I already admitted that I have not been thinking clearly lately, and… Isn’t that good enough?”

 

“Oh, father… You’ve been thinking about him lately, haven’t you…”

 

Parvis could practically see Kirin deflating because of what happened to his voice. “It’s Fuzz… He’s been asking about him the last couple months, and his questions keep going further… And hurting more…”

 

The first voice sighed. “I know, father, it’s hard. I miss him, too. And I am sure Saccolow misses him even more than the both of us. The two had a special relationship.”

 

“How did you know…?”

 

“A son who knows his father…”

 

“Oh, Holluci… I’m sorry. I really am. But I do know what’s next. First thing is to get her alone. She’ll be devastated. Next, we start drawing up the papers. The prisoners selected will have to be trained, of course. After that it’s time for dessert. I know the plan, Holluci..”

 

“Well, yes, of course you know all of _that!_ I’m merely concerned that you have been, and will be, all talk and no action.”

 

“Alright, here is the list of selected prisoners. Take a look through.”

 

Parvis chose this moment to begin moving - Moving _fast._ This far away from his relic and the basin of magical energies that sat under his house, it was hard to call upon his powers, but they came with some extra coaxing. Parvis’s vision became ultra focused and slightly blue. The vents became a tangle of wires, with points of conjunction all around Parvis. He focused and touched one, bundling his spirit with all of his stockpiled energy, and sent them both into the conjunction. He felt himself pulsing through the wires, and the wires went _everywhere._ In time, the wires went to the garden of life, and in time they also went to the basin of death. In time, they could even take him home…

 

But of course, Parvis was not that strong in magic. He could only send his senses, so to speak, through the wires that connected all things, but not his entire self. He moved along, feeling the steady beat of the Cage’s plumbing like a heart, and also feeling the steady beat of the world’s plumbing. He could see, could _feel_ Holluci and Kirin, could _feel_ them, right over _there -_ And all he had to do was take a left, and a right, and…

 

When Parvis had charted out the route, he came back to the point where the wires met just beside his motionless body, and slowly let his magic energy dissipate. When he came to, he lurched forward, catching his chest with his hand and breathing heavily.

 

“The pain never gets old.” He wheezed to himself. It felt like an elephant was sitting on his chest and someone had dumped lighter fluid and a lit match down into his lungs. As the burn went away, it was replaced by a chilling cold from the rapid removal of magic energy from his body.

 

Parvis continued on, following the path he had found and hoping he remembered correctly. Finally, he came to a small grate in the wall of the vent, and he could clearly hear Kirin and Holluci on the other side, and could see Kirin at times while he paced.

 

“Right, I’ll make a note you want him in the program, too.” Came Kirin.

 

“What about those miners?”

 

Kirin snorted. “Oh, you mean the Hole Diggers company? It’s a joke. Honestly. Worst part is, though, the tall, logical one knows what we’re using the laser for, I think. He’s deceiving the smart one and the…”

 

“Mascot?” Suggested Holluci.

 

“Yes, let’s go with that. Although he doesn’t seem to care. Just wants money, or power, or… Something. I think it’ll be fine. Besides, once we fire it for the first time and know it works, we’ll probably make them disappear, anyways. I wouldn’t worry about them. The one won’t talk unless he sees us behind his back with a knife or we don’t pay, and the other two won’t even know because of how oblivious they both are. They are a group of loose ends that almost tie themselves up.”

 

“Right. Okay, then. Haha, it’s funny sometimes, how cliché our methods are… Eh em,I, umm…”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Well, I have something I’ve been meaning to show you… But I’m not sure how to explain it.”

 

“Oh, well what is it?”

 

“It’s… Kind of another project. Eh em. May help things in the long run, may be useful to have. I just… Don’t know how to prepare you for what you are about to see. I have the specimens prepared in the tanks along the wall, but…”

 

“Then don’t prepare me. Just show me.”

 

Holluci sighed, and Parvis realized he had a perfect view of an area which was fenced in by a laser field of some kind and contained several tanks.

 

“Alright… But I think I better explain at least a little bit before showing you.” Said Holluci. “As I’m sure you’re aware, our studies on the so-called “Spirit Matter” have hit a dead end… But I managed to… I accidentally created an _opposite._ An _opposite_ of what we found in the tomb. It… Its behavior is… Strange, and erratic, and I - One of the scientists became - _infected_ by it. He got _terribly_ sick. And he… Well, we didn’t know what to do, we fed him Spirit Matter we had taken from his colleagues, who were distraught and very willing to give. But… After a time it became clear that no amount would help him for more than a few days. So we let him die… We were ready to cremate him, but then… He woke up. And after that, he didn’t die.”

 

Kirin had stopped pacing, his lips parted slightly. “ _What?”_ He said, his throat sounding dry.

 

“Yes, yes, I know, quite a lot to take in. He didn’t get hurt by anything. Didn’t need to eat or drink. He was fine for… Maybe a week. And then he started… He started acting strange. Got sick again, became extremely flustered all the time. And then he just… _Snapped,_ and he attacked one of the other scientists, and - And _killed_ him, and… Took his Spirit Matter, somehow.”

 

“He - He _what?”_

 

“He just… Sucked it right out of him, leaving behind the opposite… _Stuff_ , and after that the other went crazy, and began to display the same symptoms, but worse. He became an absolute maniac, and when he tried to attack another person, we detained him in a Stasis Tube. And then we detained the original, because he kept… Trying to get more Spirit Matter. That’s when _he_ went crazy, too, and… He died. He got sick, _really_ sick, and he just - Died. For real this time. By the time he went he was nothing but a pile of disfigured flesh.”

 

Kirin looked like he was going to be sick. His face was pale and his hands shook.

 

“Holluci, I swear - I swear to _God,_ which means a lot coming from me - Those tubes, I swear to _God_ if that second scientist is - Holluci, _please_ don’t tell me that… Holluci, do _not_ say that…” Kirin trailed off when he realized that Holluci was not denying his suspicions.

 

“No…” Whispered Kirin. It was faint and meek, and it surprised Parvis. Every time he had seen Kirin, he had been overconfident and proud, but now… He was legitimately _scared_ , and that simultaneously amazed and _terrified_ Parvis.

 

“God, _no…”_ He repeated.

 

Holluci nodded solemnly.

 

“You’ve - My… My _God,_ Holluci, you’ve… You’ve created a _monster…”_

 

The weight of this statement silenced the three men for a minute. They all knew, in their own way, that it was true - One thought so reluctantly, too proud to admit that it had been partly his own fault. Another was extremely confused and terrified. The one in the vents had a feeling of dread seering through him, a weight in his stomach that made him feel cold, like he was being watched by something.

 

Parvis equated the mentioned being to something between a vampire and a zombie, and the idea that it was _contagious…_ And there was at least one of them _inside_ this giant floating fortress that Parvis had no way of escaping… Parvis felt sick and hugged himself, wishing Martyn was there. He would have known what to do…

 

“Hol- _Holluci.”_ Kirin choked out, his shaking voice barely a whisper. “You are too - Dispose of the original ac-accident. Do so in a way that _ensures_ no one will be infected. You hear me? _No one else is to be infected._ I don’t want this spreading. As for the… Other one… Wh-Who I can only _hope_ is not in the opaque tube behind me watching me right now… I want you to have him - Have him die, permanently, and then dispose of him in the same manner. Lock away all research on this - This _stuff,_ and what happened to those exposed to it, so that only the highest-ranking employees can get to it. And… Destroy all of the inverse Spirit Matter. Okay?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“And - And, Holluci… I don’t want to hear anything about this. _Ever again._ Okay? You aren’t to discuss with me _ever again_ unless there is an emergency. Got that? _Never let me hear about this again._ Okay?”

 

“Yes, Si - Father. I will.”

 

“And - And _fuck’s sake,_ don’t let Fuzz find out.”

 

There was silence, and Parvis assumed Holluci had nodded.

 

“Alright. Is that - Is that it for this little meeting?”

 

“I believe so, yes.” Said Holluci.

 

“I’m going to my bedroom now. Goodnight, Holluci.”

 

“Okay. Goodnight.”

 

And then Parvis heard a set of metal doors slide open, and then close, and Kirin was gone.

 

Holluci moved into Parvis’s view, right to the tanks. He looked into one of them with fiery eyes.

 

“My father simply doesn’t understand… All he heard was that I had created a monster. Which is, of course, accurate, but… He missed the important part. Not only did I create a monster, but I created a potential army of servants that cannot be killed. He always does miss the details… Oh well. Soon enough, he will see… I will _make_ him see. Soon enough… For now, just be patient. Your time will come.”

 

Parvis heard the clicking of shoes on the hard floor, and then the doors opened and closed again.

 

Parvis let out a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding, and then he thought about how he would get back - And just then a small, purple hole in the floor opened in front of him. It was like looking into space. A paper floated up out of it, and Parvis grabbed it to read it.

 

_I live by many laws. One is that a friend in need, or a stranger in need for that matter, is a friend indeed. The other is that the enemies of one’s enemy are great friends. It is by no accident that you witnessed this meeting, and I’d like you to continue witnessing these meetings. We can help each other, if you just continue to come back to this space in the vents whenever I signal you. Don’t worry about what the signal will be, you will know it when it appears. As for the passage, I will open it again in this spot in the Cage when you need it again. Don’t worry about how I’m opening these passageways, just follow my commands and, when we meet, I will make sure you know how much I value you as a friend. If we work together, you can escape this place and we can bring down the Alliance. Don’t worry about a thing, I’ll take care of it all. Sincerely, A Friend._

 

Parvis wasn’t at all sure he understood, but he didn’t much care. It was an excuse to leave his cell, and that was really all he cared about. He wasn’t sure what to do now. If he went back, the wall would be sealed again - And whoever this “Friend” was, they surely didn’t expect Parvis to go back through the pitch darkness.

 

And then it occurred to Parvis.

 

This hole looked _very_ similar to the one that had brought him into the walls… And the note _had_ come out of it… So there must have been something on the other side…

 

Parvis closed his eyes and took a deep breath. And then, seeing no other option, he leaned forward and fell into the hole.

 

It was like going through water, but more viscous. For a few moments he was cold and everything was dark and soundless, and then he ended up on the floor right by the part of the wall that had opened up previously.

 

Parvis caught his breath. “What - What the _fuck?!”_ He whispered.

 

He simply shook his head and reminded himself that he shouldn’t be surprised after what had happened to him. He got up, dusted himself off, and walked in no particular direction. _Now how the fuck do I get back?_ He thought to himself.

 

* * *

 

 

When Parvis got back to his cell, he had crashed into bed, only to be awoken two hours latter by a series of sharp knocks at the door. Ridge and he went to answer the door, and Parvis felt like he was going to die of fatigue.

 

He opened the door and was greeted by some guards. “Oh, of _course_ this is when you show up. Alright, let’s go. Torture time.”

 

* * *

 

 

Kirin looked him dead in the eyes. “Alright. You don’t want to be here, and neither do I. So, why don’t you make this easy? Where did you find your relic?”

 

“I don’t know what you mean.” Said Parvis.

 

“Yes, you do. Your artifact. Where’d you get it?”

 

“Alright, I - Some friends and I had been studying magic and, uhh… Eventually we were able to get a big artifact under the city to draw us a map to another one. We went to some moon and just dug it up. Obviously this was probably illegal, but it was uninhabited anyways.”

 

“Wow… I actually didn’t think you’d be so easy. We’re done with Ridge, he was good, too. So… Well, was it destroyed in the explosion?”

 

Parvis thought for a moment, his heart thumping deep in his ears.

 

“Yes.” He said, his voice deadpan.

 

Kirin smiled, kindly, and it seemed as though everything was going to be okay.

 

Kirin’s lip curled and he snarled, grabbing Parvis by the throat.

 

“Liar!” He seethed. “Hook him up.”

 

“No!” Shouted Parvis, but the needle had already gone in, and he was already being placed roughly in the bed and connected to the machine.

 

The scream that exited him when it began was not the last and definitely not at all the loudest.

 

* * *

 

 

It was absolutely terrible, and when Parvis had been returned home, he had crashed into bed again. He couldn’t sleep for long periods of time, and found himself in the kitchen a few times for reasons he didn’t understand. At some point, Ridge had snuck into his bed and the two found themselves hugging tightly - For Ridge was traumatized, too, which was saying something. It helped, the heat of Ridge’s body against his own. At some point he must have fallen asleep, for the pain had stopped and the next thing he knew he was running in a field, not a care in the world.


End file.
